Nigerian startup helps users easily create, format and send CVs

A new platform that allows users to easily create, format and send their CVs to any part of the world has been launched in Nigeria.

CVFlash is the brainchild of Somto Ifezue, a serial entrepreneur and managing director of Dinocom Integrated Resources, who told HumanIPO the idea was born from the fact around 90 per cent of applicants for positions at one of his companies submitted “horrible or poorly formatted CVs”.

“We needed to fill about 20 positions urgently, but we only received about 35 applications. So we were forced to use all the applications we received even though they were poor,” he said. “The thing that struck me was that I noticed that some of the people with those bad CVs were actually smart and were the type of people we were looking for.

“So I thought of a system that will take the stress out of writing, formatting and sending CVs for applicants, to that they focus on finding the right jobs and also increasing their interview rate.”

To use the platform, an individual must create an account on the website. Those with a LinkedIn account can create a CV by linking the two accounts together.

”With a click of a button, all your relevant information on LinkedIn would be copied to CVFlash – information like educational background, experience, skills etc. For non-LinkedIn members they can also manually fill in the required fields. It is as easy as opening a Facebook page,” Ifezue said.

Users can then preview the CV and, if satisfied, download it as a Word document or PDF. It can also be sent directly to an employer via email using the platform, while there is also an SMS feature.

CVFlash is currently only available to MTN, Glo, Airtel and Visafone subscribers in Nigeria, though Ifezue said more supported countries and networks are coming soon.